Wyoming Reacts to Proposed Fracking Rule

by Taylor Viydo, tviydo@k2tv.com

A proposed new hydraulic
fracturing rule from the Obama administration is drawing the ire of
lawmakers, industry professionals, and even environmental groups across
Wyoming. The rule, announced Thursday by Interior Secretary Sally
Jewell, would require oil and gas companies drilling on public land to
disclose the chemicals they use in the sometimes controversial drilling
practice.

While Wyoming was complemented on its efforts to
regulate fracking by the Department of the Interior, the proposal is
fairly similar to rules already in place in the Cowboy State. While the
draft proposal from the Bureau of Land Management would require the
disclosure of fracking fluids, drilling companies could ask to be exempt
from the rule by claiming that the chemicals they use are trade
secrets. The BLM, however, would be able to ask for specifics on any
chemicals that were seeking trade secret exemption.

Wyoming
law requires disclosure of fracking chemicals to the state, but are
classified as trade secrets and are not allowed to be made public.
Wyoming was already one of the first states to require such rules.

Many
are now calling the rules burdensome and unnecessary. "I think that
this is an area better left to the states to provide leadership," said
Governor Matt Mead. "We have a vested interest in it way beyond what
Washington, DC does."

"I think Wyoming gets it right, Washington gets it wrong on fracking and so many other things," said Senator John Barrasso.

Mead
says the proposal is especially threatening to one of the nation's
biggest energy-producers. The federal government practically owns half
of the state of Wyoming and two-thirds of its minerals. Because of that,
Mead says the state could take an economic hit in the wake of the
proposed fracking rule and its accompanying red tape. "I'm concerned
about it delaying [drilling]," said Mead. "Already, delaying is such a
big issue for energy companies. We're talking about a five, six , seven
year delay where [companies] have millions of dollars sitting aside or
invested that they can't put to use."

Some Wyoming
environmental groups aren't thoroughly satisfied with the rule either.
Chris Merrill of the Wyoming Outdoor Council says that the proposed BLM
rule doesn't go far enough and lacks transparency. Merrill called the
rule's trade secrets clause a "loophole."

Meanwhile, the
Power River Basin Resource Council calls the BLM rule a step backwards,
but still cites the trade secrets clause. "The problem is it's really
industry deciding whether or not something is a trade secret," said
spokeswoman Shannon Anderson of the proposal. "[Companies] would be able
to voluntarily withhold that information from the government."

The BLM is currently accepting public comment on the proposed rule and will analyze those comments before issuing a final rule.